6 Tips to Overcome Your Fear Of Flying

For many, the only distress that is felt concerning flying is getting the bags packed and arriving at the airport on time. However, there are others who are more distressed over the actual flight. Several studies have found that up to 40 percent of people have some degree of anxiety about flying. For those individuals who experience fear of flying, here are 6 tips that are designed to help you overcome your fears or at least better manage them.

1. Arrive early: If you are already feeling anxious about flying, it will be easier to calm yourself if you are not experiencing more of the same because you are running late for your departure time. It will help to make your flying experience less stressful if you arrive a couple of hours before the scheduled departure time. This is particularly helpful if you are leaving from a very busy airport. By arriving early, you will have plenty of time to get through the process of getting your tickets and checking your baggage as well as going through security.

2. Relax in the Airport Lounge: If you have access to the VIP lounge take some time to relax in the comfortable environment that is provided for you there. You will be able to get away from all the busyness of the airport that way. Business class flyers already have access, but if you do not it might be worth paying around $50 for this privilege to de-stress and reduce your anxiety before boarding.

3. Select an Aisle Seat: If you are prone to claustrophobia, this will help to alleviate those concerns. You will have more freedom to move around the plane once it has reached altitude. If possible, choose a seat that coincides with the emergency exits on the side of your plane. Typically, there is extra leg room and you may even get a feeling of pride from sitting where you can be of assistance to others if the need should occur.

4. Bring a Distraction: Some studies that have been performed show that just by bringing something along to distract from the actual flight may help to reduce your anxiety. Many people bring along a favorite book or magazine and that qualifies as a distraction, but experts also suggest that something new and different may be more helpful. A new CD with a group of songs that you are not familiar with, some work that needs completing on your computer or an audio book are great ideas.

5. Preparation: Being prepared is one of the most important things you can do when you are afraid of flying. You do not want to have to worry about being uncomfortable, hungry or tired. Wear clothes that are loose-fitting and shoes that are easily removes for going through security. It is simple enough to change clothes in the airport restroom if you are meeting someone important immediately following your flight. Bring along some snacks if you feel you will need them, and a small blanket and travel pillow along with an eye mask are helpful if you are going to be taking a nap while in flight.

6. Above all relax: Yes, it is easy to say that you should do everything you can to relax if you have a fear of flying, but that is the key to getting through the flight. Mind and body relaxing techniques and activities such as yoga, meditation and even hypnotherapy have been known to provide dramatic and effective results. Remember, the chance of anything going wrong during the flight is almost non-existent. The fact is that there is more chance of having a traffic accident on the highway than being involved in one while flying. The pilots are well-trained and that includes training in how to handle emergency situations.

As with most other fearful situations, fear is generally greater than the actual chances of a dangerous situation presenting itself. For this reason, it is recommended that you face your fears rather than letting them control your life. If there is only one tip that could be imparted at this time, this one would be the most important. However, it is also the hardest to address.

The common reaction when we see someone in distress is to offer comfort and to help them move away from the source of their discomfort. This is the wrong approach to take when it concerns most fears even though it is natural. Facing fears head-on is the only way to get past them and move on.

Author:

David Samson is a member of the General Hypnotherapy Register. He holds a Senior Qualification in Hypnotherapy London treatments and is accredited by the National Regulatory Register for Hypnotherapy.

He has acted as an Advisor to ITV Television, London Talk Radio, LBC Radio, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio 2 and Talk Radio Europe. His work has been featured in The Times, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and the Evening Standard.

Visit http://www.davidsamson.co.uk/hypnosis%20for%20fear%20of%20flying.htm if you are interested in using Hypnotherapy to overcome your Fear of Flying, effectively and permanently.

Or call David Now 020 8201 0618. Initial 30 min consultation is Free.


Original article

Stress and the Four Stages of Competence while Learning, Part 1

You don't need me to tell you how stressful life can be! You experience stressful situations while attempting to navigate new relationships and learn new routines at home and work. It helps to understand how to reduce stress in the four stages of becoming competent as you learn anything new. Let's look at the stress you experience as you learn to drive a car.

In the beginning, you know nothing about driving. However, you don't feel any stress because you don't realize you don't know. This first stage is called unconscious incompetence.

When you become aware that you don't know how to drive, and you need to learn, stress begins to increase. Conscious incompetence is the increasingly uncomfortable stage as you realize you need to drive, but can't.

When you get behind the wheel for your first driving lesson, stress can skyrocket. You know you're incompetent, you need to learn how to improve your driving and reduce your stress, but you have little or no control over the car. In fact, some people feel overwhelmed to the point of being paralyzed, they're afraid to take any steps at all.

You don't need to despair, however. You're now moving into conscious competence, the third stage. Since you don't yet know how to drive, you trust the driving instructor as he gives you directions on how to improve your skills. You'll slowly reduce stress as your driving lessons continue, your overall stress levels will begin to drop.

As you continue practicing, you become more and more competent, and driving no longer takes intense concentration. Beware, the conscious competence stage can be dangerous when you realize learning to drive no longer needs your full attention. I remember trying to turn on the radio and very nearly having an accident when I ignored the basic instructions and took my eyes off the road and a hand off the wheel!

Eventually, after much practice, you reach unconscious competence where driving a car is no longer stressful. You can arrive back from work, and realize you don't remember the drive home.

Any learning situation in your life can arouse feelings of stress. Once you understand that stress is a normal part of any new capability, you know to not feel anxious about your lack of control. Changing what you know about reducing stress allows you to more effectively learn new skills and concepts, which is an essential step in learning how to improve your life.

Copyright Cris Baker, all rights reserved.

Cris Baker is well practiced in reducing stress, he's been screwing things up for years!:-) Now you can benefit from real experience, see this diagram illustrating the Stress Curve.
Why repeat my mistakes when you can discover how to minimize your suffering from an expert in self-sabotage? Download the free online seminar and reduce your stress today!


Original article

Deal With It - Proactively! Reduce Your Stress With This Proven Tip, Part 2

Would you prefer an easier life? Me, too! Yet how many of us are willing to put in the effort for life to become easier? You already appreciate the value of investing so you have money for later, but is that the only thing that will give you an easier life?

Let's agree what's plain to see: any area giving you unsatisfactory results will also cause you some stress, right. Then the way to ensure you don't stress in the future is to ensure you don't end up with unsatisfactory results. So you need to look at those areas today.

This seems obvious, and it is. But do you know anyone who buries their heads in the sand and ignores the obvious? Perhaps even intimately?

To avoid the peak in the stress curve, invest some time and energy in the future. Do this before it gets too late. Pick up a pen and write down a list of areas that have potential for becoming stressful. Don't just think about doing this, do it!

Then explore each one. Ask yourself what could cause problems, and how can you reduce the stress that it'll bring. Well before this starts giving you lots of stress, what can you do towards resolving that issue today?

You need to come up with some possible strategies. Estimate which ones could increase - as well as decrease - your stress. You want enough different choices to have this area work for you, rather than against you.

Every cloud has a silver lining is a time-tested proverb. You need to invest time to find the beneficial silver lining in this particular stressful cloud. Any frustration over this area's continuing lack of cooperation simply says you aren't looking powerfully enough. So 'it' is causing you to be frustrated. Then you might be tempted to say: it's not my fault!

Yes indeed, it may not be, but such a stance is still pure self-sabotage, because you are involved. If you have decline responsibility, then you have no power to change things. Taking responsibility gives you the opportunity to reduce the peak of the Stress Curve. Remember that irresponsible is one opposite of responsible!

So regain the power in your life by choosing to be responsible! Put energy into the areas that aren't working so well. Explore the various options that exist, as well as those that don't - yet.

When you do this in advance, before getting stressed, you are creating your life the way you want to have it. To use Stephen Covey's phrase in his seminal book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - you're being pro-active!

Copyright Cris Baker, all rights reserved.

Cris Baker is well practiced in overcoming adversity, he's been screwing things up for years!:-) Now you can benefit from real experience, his hard-earned know-how at http://www.reducestressnow.net/
Why make your own mistakes when you can discover how to minimize your suffering from an expert in self-sabotage? Download the free online seminar and reduce your stress today!


Original article

Are You a Female Manager? Do You Manage Your Stress Levels As Effectively As You Manage Your Staff?

Are you trying to be everything to everybody?

Have you got too much to do and too little time?

Have you ever noticed that the more you do the more others demand of you?

Today's women in management face challenges that many of their male colleagues don't face or understand. Women have a tendency to strive towards being all things to all people, at home and at work and often put themselves last in the pecking order.

"So what?" I hear you say, "that's just life," "I can do it," or maybe you just think that you don't have a choice. Well you do have a choice on whether or not you start to manage your stress and if you want to keep being:
a good managera good colleaguea good muma good partnera good daughtera good friendetc., etc...

then it is vital that you look after yourself first and start to manage the stress in your life. The first and most important step in doing this is to realise that you have to do something differently. If your stress levels are starting to become unmanageable then what you are doing now is not working. How differently you do things depends on you and your individual circumstances. Some people might just need some more down time, some people need to change their way of life.

Maybe you thrive on a challenge but stretching yourself too far, for too long can lead to stress, depression, anxiety and burnout. When I say stress I do not mean the good stress that can motivate us I mean the bad stress that can have a negative impact on your whole life. Be honest with yourself is it just stress or have you been coping with too much for too long and slipped into depression? Sometimes its hard to spot this in yourself or maybe you just don't want to admit you need help. If you aren't sure whether its more than stress ask a trusted friend what they think or visit your GP.

If it is just stress, that's great! You can start to do something about that quickly and easily. There are countless different techniques for managing stress and we are all amazingly unique so what works for one person may not work for another. Buy a book or do some research on the internet and find a few things that appeal to you and make a commitment to try them.

One of the things that will work for everyone, so long as you remember to do it is to BREATHE PROPERLY! When you notice signs of tension spend some time focusing on your breathing. It's so simple yet many people don't breathe properly, especially in times of stress. Every now and then, but especially when you are sitting at your PC or in a stressful meeting take notice of your body. Where is the tension? Is it in your shoulders, in your jaw, your fingers, somewhere else? If you get stressed it will be affecting your body in some way, locate the tension and consciously let it go by relaxing each area. If possible take a break and stretch your legs, even if it's only for a comfort break or to get a glass of water. To control your breathing take a deep breath in through your nose; imagine filling the bottom of your stomach with air. When you breathe properly the bottom of your tummy will expand. Hold the breath for 5 seconds then slowly exhale through your mouth. As you exhale let your body relax. Do this 4 or 5 times and you will feel yourself becoming calmer.

Julia is a Personal Coach and NLP Practitioner supporting Women in Management.
For a FREE instantly downloadable "Stressed to Refreshed eBook" containing 21 Tried and Tested Stress Busters aimed specifically at female managers visit http://www.julia-harris.com/stressed-to-refreshed/
For more information on coaching or just a daily dose of inspiration visit http://www.julia-harris.com/


Original article

Managing Stress: How To Be Less Worried

It starts off as a thought in the back of your mind that tugs at you. Like many people you discard it and continue on. Then through a series of events the thought comes closer to the surface more often but now, it's accompanied by this feeling of dread. It gets worse and worse. Sound familiar? Worry is one of the most pervasive emotions and at its core it's based on fear and hypothesis. If left unchecked, it can and will:
Alter your brain - When you're in a state of worry, your mind takes what I like to call an escape route. It's a defense mechanism that the mind uses which is just as much of a chemical reaction as a psychological one. In a constant state of worry, your body produces increased amounts of cortisol. Prolonged exposure to cortisol impairs your ability to retrieve memories of already stored information. Basically, your brain becomes less able to remember and learn.
Cause You Ignore Possible Solutions - In this altered state, it is easy for the brain to ignore helpful cues. It is not unusual for the solution to present itself only to be completely discarded. Friends and family may offer you legitimate solutions but in your foggy mind, those solutions won't work.
Weaken your body - Because of the increased cortisol, gastric acid production may increase possibly leading to stomach ulcers. Another harmful effect is that it causes insulin resistance which means increased blood sugar. Blood pressure, potassium levels, calcium levels are all negatively affected leaving your body vulnerable and weak.
Deplete your energy - Being in constant state of worry can be exhausting. Your mind is racing through all sorts of scenarios and you are working to find what you perceive as a solution but nothing is working. It is not unusual to feel the most common symptoms of depression at this time. This along with the weakened state of your body can result in increased tiredness.

What starts as mild can quickly spiral out of control and the next thing you know, you're in the throes of depression. So when we feel the beginnings of worry tugging at us, what can we do to stem the tide?

Here is a quick exercise you can use to help you get a handle on your worry at the beginning stages:

Close your eyes and visualize a crystal clear river running freely. You follow the river and see a dam made of pieces of wood that preventing that river from moving freely. That dam is your worry. You walk over to that dam and pull out the pieces of wood one by one. You keep pulling those pieces of wood until the dam weakens and the river overruns the remaining pieces. The river runs freely.

Do this as many times as you need to for any other dam that that gets in your way. You don't have to pull out each piece of wood; you can throw stones at it, take a longer piece of wood and beat it down, whatever you feel comfortable in doing so that you can get rid of that dam. The point of this exercise is not to get rid of all your worries all at once; it's to help you realize that worries can be weakened and dismantled to the point where they no longer obstructions. Once they are removed, then you become more open to solutions and possibilities.

As with anything, doing this exercise takes practice but after a while you will realize how much power you have over your worries and not the other way around.

Dianne Dixon is a certified professional who left the US to return to her homeland of Jamaica, WI. She is an Agribusiness owner/Entrepreneur and blogger who contributes to a variety of sites on topics such as health & wellness, personal development, life in Jamaica and more. In Jan 2012 she published her first e-book, Jamaican Foods Min-E-Book. Follow & comment on her journey in creating a life of abundance at Transitionyte.com.


Original article

Winning at the Game of Office Conflict - Quitting May Not Be the Answer for You

Let's face it: you no longer like this job. Maybe it's your boss; he or she is unfair to you, verbally abusive or plays favorites (and you're not the favorite). It could be your coworkers; they exclude you, gossip about you, or don't pull their weight and you end up with the blame. How can this be? You certainly didn't see this coming when you accepted this position.

If you find yourself in one of the situations above, or in a very similar situation, perhaps this article will give you a place to start. Take a break, take a breather, and formulate your game plan.

You're probably thinking by now, "My state is an at-will state. I can quit right now, and I can just walk out of those front doors." While that is probably true, let's look at some reasons why this should be your last resort.

#1. Will you be able to claim unemployment benefits if you quit? In my state anyone who quits and then wants to claim UI benefits doesn't automatically get their claim honored. They are scheduled for a phone interview, and then a determination is made.

#2. What will you say in future interviews? The companies that interview you may not think you had a valid reason to quit, with or without a 2 week notice. Regardless of your situation at work, any interviewer that hears your story will wonder what the other side of the story is. Many people adhere to the philosophy "Past performance dictates future performance". In other words, if another company were to hire you, they may think that any provocation on the job, no matter how insignificant, may cause you to quit this job like you did your last job.

Convinced that quitting isn't necessarily the best course of action? Here is a sample course of action you can take to resolve your employment woes and reduce the friction you experience at your job.

#1. Keep meticulous documentation on the exact nature of the conflict, including the steps you have taken to prevent the conflict.

#2. Monitor your behavior to ensure you are not contributing to the conflict in any way. If you feel you may have added to the conflict, be quick to accept responsibility. No one likes someone who deflects blame and won't accept the consequences of their actions. Be sure to set the proper example, and remember the Golden Rule.

#3. Inquire about the procedures to resolve interpersonal conflict at your place of employment. Follow the procedures in place, and continue to keep documentation about each step you engage in.

#4. Befriend a few HR folks and ask them what they honestly think of your situation, and what to say in future interviews about why you decided to leave your position. Also you may consider seeing a psychologist and have them guide you with what to do and how to frame this situation in future interviews. You'll appreciate the opportunity to have an impartial third party hear your side of the story and provide valuable feedback.

#5. Can you get free law advice for your situation? If you continue to experience conflict, and you've taken steps to reduce the friction, it may be time to get a second opinion. Be sure to show your documentation to the person you consult. Seeking law advice will be especially helpful if, after your best efforts, you aren't able to resolve the issues and you do seek employment elsewhere. This tip will also be your backup if you do need to quit your position before securing another job, and you need to file for Unemployment Benefits.

It's tough working at a job where you're encountering conflict that hinders your ability to do your job, or simply enjoy your job. It's even tougher making a bad situation worse by prematurely quitting, affecting your ability to secure UI benefits and another job. Best of luck to you.


Original article

Be At Peace Every Day

In order to find peace, we do not need to escape the moment we are in. We may think that we must have things be a certain way in order to feel peaceful. We may believe peace can only be found during certain types of moments. This is not true. All moments can provide peace to us if we can be with them and allow ourselves to relax. Take this for example, you are driving in your car, anxious to get somewhere, your mind is busy, your body is tense. Is this peaceful? Add to this the traffic jam you just got stuck in. Anxiety builds, tension escalates, and you feel trapped. You may even be thinking to yourself, I can't wait to get home and relax; I can't wait till this day is over so I can unwind.

Well you have that space right there in the car, at that very moment, to let go and relax. Yes, you are in traffic. Yes, you may feel too preoccupied to take advantage of it, but it is these kinds of moments that we overlook all day. Moments that provide peace if we choose to relax in them. In this case, the space in the car can be tranquil if we let it, if we choose to quiet our mind for the duration of the trip. If we stop racing through our thoughts, the very thoughts that are causing our anxiety, and let our mind relax. Just this small step allows us to release tension if we quiet our mind, relax our emotions, stop projecting ourselves into our future, and take advantage of the moment we have which is a moment to ourselves, with peace available if we choose to act upon it.

We may think we must be in a certain state or a certain environment in order to relax and be at peace, but if we see life in this way, those moments or relaxation are not there when we need them. If we do not act upon the moments we have to alleviate stress, it will only build. If we do not relish in moments where peace is available, then peace itself will not find us. If we think we can only be at peace when we deem the moment right, we may be waiting for a long time. Think about the type of moment you see as peaceful, how often does this occur? Is it in your usual daily routine? If not, perhaps you need to look at your routine or your day in a different way. Stop assuming peace can only be found or felt in accordance to your idea of it. Peace is a way of being, attainable in all moments great or small. It is up to you to use them and let yourself relax.

Far too often we ignore the possibilities where we can because we are too wrapped up in our day. Opportunities to relax are there all day long; it just depends on how you look at your day. It could be a lull in your office work where you could close your eyes, breath deeply, and let yourself relax, if only for a few moments. A conscious effort on your part to release tension and relax can do wonders for your state of being and for the rest of your day. Even when we are confronted with what seems like a hard or overwhelming day, there are times when you can choose to let go and relax.

We must understand that peace is attainable. We can begin by quieting our thoughts, letting our mind relax so that we can relax. And then letting go of tension in our bodies through breathing and physically relaxing our muscles. When we focus on a peaceful way of being, it happens. When we let go of the idea that we can only feel at peace when the situation is right, it can happen at any moment. For in truth, in every moment there is a choice as to how we perceive it and live it. We can live in a peaceful state of being by enjoying life and constantly letting go of the tension we may be holding onto and by giving ourselves the space to relax. If only for a moment, with only 5 seconds of an empty mind, relaxed body, and the intention to be at peace, we can find it. Peace lives with us when we choose to see all moments as possibilities of being so.

Find your true self and learn how to truly be in the moment at Answers in Writing.

Adam Benedetto and Zoe Young are both dedicated to enabling others to reach their full potential in life, to help others release what is holding them back, and to find their true selves. Through years of experience and development, both have sought out the answers we all need to find peace, understand ourselves, and reach enlightenment.


Original article

Enough! Overcoming the Little Annoyances Wearing You Out

'It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out--It's the grain of sand in your shoe.' Robert William Service, Scottish Poet 1874-1958

What's Wearing on You?

What is the grain of sand in your shoe wearing you out-that annoyance present in the back of your mind wearing you down? What's grating on you today?

Perhaps:

You're waiting for the other shoe to drop at work;You can't seem to get the landlord to fix that hole in your ceiling the rain is leaking through;You have a good paying job-but the daily work is soul-killing;You've got a job you really enjoy-but its 600 miles from your home and family.

How Little Annoyances Affect Life Satisfaction

No matter how good our lives are, we all face trials in our daily lives that can wear us down. Truth is even if our lives are excellent overall, we still measure our life satisfaction by the least satisfying parts-i.e. those grains of sand.

The Daily Grind

Linda, almost 60 and divorced, has a beautiful home, grown children, a dog, a network of great friends-- and a new great-paying job. So what's the grain of sand in her shoe?

Linda's new job took her 600 miles away from her friends and home. She's uncomfortable living in her new apartment in a city filled with never-ending traffic and cement sidewalks. She misses the wooded trails where she walked with her dog enjoying the great outdoors. While the money is good in her new job, her daily quality of life has taken a nosedive. She dreams of moving back home.

Liz, a 21 year-old, taking a full load of college courses and working full-time loves her apartment with its hardwood floors and spacious rooms, conveniently located adjacent to the bus line to work and school.

Liz's grain of sand is the huge gaping hole in her apartment ceiling. Mold is growing and she is worried about her health. She doesn't want to move-especially since she's in the middle of the school term-- and really doesn't have the time to look for another place.

At Forty, Julian has just finished a higher degree, loves his chosen work, home and partner. What's the grain of sand wearing him down?

Julian's hometown market may be too small to support his work. If he wants to do what he loves he may need to work and live elsewhere-and leave his home and partner behind. The idea of a long-distance relationship leaves him cold.

Don't Ignore Your Grain of Sand, Acknowledge it

Face it-we all have difficult decisions to make these days. The difficulty of choosing between two less-than-optimum options often leaves us making no decision at all-and this unresolved dilemma goes underground and begins to wear on us like the grains of sand in our walking shoes.

The problem with grains of sand in our shoes is rather than choosing to stop to remove them we try to ignore them as we continue traveling on the road of life. Without acknowledging and embracing them we can find no relief.

Find Your Pearl

Rather than letting your grain of sand wear you down, let it build you up.

In a clam, that grain of sand has the potential of creating a pearl. You too have the possibility of creating something exquisite and beautiful in your life through that daily grind forcing you to pay attention to what's working and what's not.

Granted, grains of sand in our walking shoes are irritating and annoying-but they make us pay attention. Stop ignoring the irritation in your life, acknowledge and embrace it. Choose to reach through the current irritation to create a better life.

Four Steps to Turn SAND into Your Pearl

1. Acknowledge and embrace the irritation. Let yourself become aware and fully conscious of what's grating on you. Name it. Sit in it.

2. Keep on walking. Do nothing. Let the irritation grow your awareness to produce your life pearl.

3. Stop. When you're ready--take off your shoes and shake it off. Choose your next action.

4. Start A New Direction--Take a step-any step-away from your irritant towards a better life.

Start

A

New

Direction

What's Your PEARL?

What PEARL can you create out of your grains of sand? Play with the letters in PEARL to create a positive picture of what you can create out of your grain of sand.

Possibilities, Enthusiasm, Acceptance, Relationships, Love

Playful, Enjoyable, Action-oriented, Reliable, Loyal

'Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.' The Buddha

International speaker and award-winning author, Susan J Meyerott provides dynamic interactive workshops for people ready to better manage their work, life and health. For more than 30 years, Susan has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. As a speaker and writer, Susan blends her unique background in health promotion, accelerated learning, and communication with a very personal, practical, and humorous style. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes changing easier than ever before.
http://lightartedliving.blogspot.com/2012/01/staying-upbeat-in-face-of-negativity.html
http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanjmeyerott


Original article

Is Worrying Normal?

If you never had a bout with worry, check your heartbeat. Everyone has and will worry. Are your worries overwhelming you, then that's not normal. If you would like to step out of the worry zone, you've come to the right place.

You could call worry a survival trigger, that warns you of present danger, or to quickly change course. It is learning how to effectively deal with problematic issues that come up throughout your lifetime; that's the challenge. Not being able to sort through the muck grips millions of people year after year into a paralyzing unhealthy addiction, to the parasite called worry.

Have You Experienced Some of These?

• Endlessly worrying

• You would like to stop but can't

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Anxiety attacks

• Rapid heartbeat

• Sleepless nights

• Dwelling on "what if's"

• Digestive problems

• Heartaches

• Muscle tightness

• Your family avoids you

Worrying if left unchecked and unresolved will cause undue stress, and stress has been known to cause illness in both the body and mind.

Why do You Worry?

Are you worried right now? Do you worry about things that you were not able to control in the past, and do you also worry about things that can't be foreseen in the future. Being too preoccupied with things that are no longer within your reach and things not yet within your reach will keep you in an endless state of worry. When you identify the triggers, you'll be able to think clearly and deal with the issues at hand.

Which Realm are You Living In?

Do you sometimes find yourself dwelling on decisions you made in the past? For example: What if you had just saved a little money back then, or taken that other job instead of this one? Or wished you had spent more time with a loved one? Do you really believe your life would be better today? You must always remember that the past has taken care of itself. It can't be changed. Begin excepting that reality and quelling the guilt of the past is your first step to conquering and overcoming worry.

Worrying about events that may never come to pass can be just as dangerous. Future worries are yet another unproductive activity you don't want to be caught in. You have no control and will never have control of the future. However, preparing yourself and your family for future events are important. For example, there's a stark difference between saving money for the future versus worrying about the sky falling.

Tiger Shark or Jellyfish?

Now we come to the present, and perhaps, the most challenging time period for a worrier. Why, because this is where you must meet reality. You can choose to have the heart of a tiger shark, and swallow up your worries. Or perhaps, a jellyfish and float back into the lonely dark endless abyss, probably not.

Start today and find your solution here. Don't focus on the past, and remember the future is not staring you in the face yet. Become engaged now, so that any present problems will be in clear view. When you begin the process of sorting through the murky waters, you will discover that your anxieties about the past and the future will slowly sink to the bottom and eventually melt away.

About the Author: Valerie O'Brien specializes in helping individuals manage their worry monsters in a simple common sense approach. How 3 Simple Quotes from Extraordinary Wisdom Makers can transform you with your battle with worry. Visit: Quotes About Worry, and get your Free 10-part Mini Course 2012 Edition.


Original article

Step-By-Step Strategy For Handling Stressful Dentist/Doctor Appointments

In my opinion, one of the extreme stressful times is going to the dentist or an oral surgeon. I'd agonize over the prospect of setting up an appointment and stressing out until the Big Day. But now, I train myself to avoid doing all of that and resorted to training myself to remain calm.

FIRST STEP: Making an appointment. To handle this, figure out whether you prefer a morning or afternoon appointment and how soon. If you're considering a dental appointment, figure out whether the following day or week works best for you. Then call. I know that doing this is extremely stressful, but it must be done. And it is up to you to do it. To get through this, promise yourself a treat right after you get the work done. It doesn't have to be a big deal, just something to look forward to once everything is done.

SECOND STEP: Reduce the stress from in-between aggravations, such as paying bills, getting a necessary repair done in the house, writing a letter, etc. At this point, you want to minimize little stressors so that they don't ultimately increase to bigger stresses. Find something that relaxes you, such as enjoying music or a favorite TV situation comedy.

THIRD STEP: As the Big Day draws near, take care of everyday chores, such as supermarket shopping, laundry, and the like. Once these chores are done, their completion frees up your time and reduces stress. Remind yourself that you have a treat of your choice after your appointment, even if that treat is a cup of coffee at a nearby diner. Imagining how good you'll feel once it is all over will help you reduce a lot of stress.

THE BIG DAY: Plan to get out of bed a little earlier than usual this morning. Have some breakfast and listen to music. Deal with smaller chores, such as cleaning up litterboxes, washing dishes, making the beds, and so forth. Be aware of the time you'll need to leave the house. Remember to allow enough time to drive or get public transportation. This morning, you're focusing on taking things one step at a time. Having a plan and implementing its steps will help to relieve a lot of stress. In your mind, visualize yourself as having the procedure completed and walking out of the dentist's or doctor's office on your way home. And as soon as possible afterward that same day, reward yourself with that long-awaited treat! You deserve it.

Dorothy Zjawin is the author of a number of Instructor articles that inspired her published book, Teaching Ideas for the Come-Alive Classroom (Parker/Prentice-Hall). She has used the strategy explained in this article successfully many times.


Original article

Stress Reduction - Channel Your Anger Into Productive Stress Reducing Energy

Anger is part of stress. It actually is an emotional by-product of stress. Anger can be held in or immediately expressed depending on the individual and the situation. This is related in the phrase, "My anger has a short fuse." There is a better way to resolve anger.

When you let it, your anger builds like steam and you have created something dangerous. This expression of stress also increases your stress levels, like a domino effect. If you are the type of person, whom holds in your anger, this anger will, one make you physically sick or, two make you numb with indifference. This indifference is not emotionally healthy. If you are a person who vents this anger, then you are going to hurt either some one or yourself. Often times verbal hurts take longer to heal and you lose the respect or the trust of others.

On the other hand, like steam, which can propel a steam engine, you have the option to release your anger in a positive productive way.

Think about it, if you choose to respond and not react, your anger releasing can be directed to the energy needed to solve the problem that created the anger in the first place. Your stress is definitely reduced and you feel better about your self and you have devoured a confrontation. It is always better to have solutions to problems then to magnify the problem ten fold. Your relationships will be much healthier for your effort.

You can channel this anger positively and not dwell on it or feed it with more stress. This channeling does take conscious effort on your part. This also takes a little practice as well.
When you know that way, you manage anger and how you vent anger, you are on the right path to reducing your general stress levels.

You do not have to feel like you are giving in to anger by being less assertive or venting it slowing. You are actually in complete control of your anger and that for most people is very important and difficult. When you have your stress reduced and under control you are on the path to powerful calm.

You will find that once you can control your anger you can make decisions better and more confidently. You are a more pleasant person to be around, and you are respected by friends and associates.

Controlling your anger and actively reducing your stress levels creates in you a healthier and happier person. You are also looked upon as a who thinks clearly and is successful.

Ellen R Norman is an expert in stress management using natural solutions.
She teaches people like yourself how to regain control of your life by reducing and relieving stress.
Visit http://www.stressmanagementnaturalsolutions.com/ and subscribe to get your newsletter and a free gift.


Original article

How Can You Test the Level of Your Stress?

In order to continue living life in a healthy and in fitter way, you should test the level of your stress. Remember the human body is more like an effective and efficient machine that is working day and night. It works hard in order keep its condition better. However, if you keep abusing your body, in the process you would soon notice wear and tear. The body slows down. This process is slow because the range to which the body can tolerate the stress and any sort of abuses is quite huge. Do not let it go to a level, where no repair is possible.

What happens when the body is under stress? When you are psychologically or physically under any stress, the hormones in your body start to go haywire. Not only does this put a negative impact on the physical aspect but mentally as well. Your body will slowly and steadily start to break up beyond a level where no repair would be possible. High blood pressure starts to appear. Cardiological problems occur. It is also seen that disease as blood sugar level and cancer results from stress.

There is a famous saying, which says 'prevention is better than cure'. It is true. Take the warning signs that your body starts to give when it is at the initial level. Identify the problem and seek solutions, so you can turn back the damage that has been done. It is always not necessary to pop pills or a few.

What Are the Stress Test questions:

1. Are you binging to deal with your emotion problem?

2. Are you sweating excessively?

3. Are you having trouble to sleep at night?

4. Do you have problem to digest your food properly, have cramps in the stomach as well as ulcer?

5. Do you forget often to take care of yourself or you don't like it? (You don't brush your hair and look after your outer appearance much because you do not feel up to it often)

6. Are you having a problem to connect with your parents or your close friends and often stay alone?

7. Do you skip meals or regular everyday routine? (Sometimes you might be having too much of it)

8. Drinking too much or smoking too much?

9. You often suffer from headaches.

10. Do you feel irritated most of the time and frequently keep shouting or crying?

11. Are your feeling unhappy and fatigued all the time?

12. Are you failing to look into businesses you should and having lack of concentration?

13. Are you having too much chocolate or fatty foods?

14. Do you have trouble finding your true sense of humor?

15. When was the last time you really enjoyed?

Each and every one is a different person and we have our own way to fight with the little bit of stress that we are having. May be the answers for the above questions are 'yes', but if it happens most of the time, then you need to take notice. If possible take professional help.


Original article

Stress and Symptoms

Stress and symptoms that accompany it can mess with your quality of life. Simplified, stress is the range of feelings and emotions that are part and parcel of each person's every day living and experiences. Throughout one's life there are a myriad of catalysts which produce worry, tension, and anxiety, which in turn lead to stress. These precursors to stress often revolve around finances, relationships, family issues, social interactions, illness, disease, and changes in lifestyle. The examples above can create tension, strain or stress which results in the body reacting to these increased demands.

What happens when you're subjected to stress? Physiologically, your body reacts with increased blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, depression, health problems, and significant emotional distress. Obviously, there is a clear connection between the stressor, the human body's reaction, and the psychological reaction or response to the catalyst.

Why does the body and mind react in such a way? A basic form of survival takes place aand the body/mind's response is to bring the entire system of functioning back to a state of equilibrium. The nature or level of response to the stress is indicative of the magnitude or perceived threat the stress is presenting. The response to the stress also takes into account the person's unique coping strategies and abilities.

As humans, we react to stress with three basic responses: Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion. These are simply basic responses that seem to coincide with lower levels of coping strategies. Certainly, the goal when confronted with stress facts is to either manage the stress appropriately or find a way to cope with the situation.

Alarm is the initial portion of the "fight or flight" syndrome. When a stressful situation occurs, we increase our efforts to maintain the status quo. If we are successful, then the crisis is averted. If we are not, then significant inner conflict can manifest, which leads to Resistance.

Resistance is the second stage of response to stress. We feel an increase in the demands from the stressful situation and so we expend more energy to attempt to manage it. This stage can be prolonged at which point one gives up both emotionally and detaches from dealing with the stressor. This is when the "flight" mode becomes most operative.

Finally, Exhaustion occurs when the state of resistance continues. Our ability to cope and manage stress breaks down. We become so entrenched in the stress and crisis that severe anxiety results with a fast slide down into burnout or even a breakdown in our ability to manage even simple things.

Stress is the body and mind's reaction to disturbances in the status quo or homeostasis of our every day lives. Managing stress in one's life is to recognize what situations are stressful and approach them with intent to manage, cope or actually improve them. Failure to take some sort of action to manage your stress and symptoms can cause the stress to become destructive on all levels, physiological, psychological, and social.

You can learn more about natural supplements for anxiety from the #1 natural nutrition company at: Stress and Symptoms.

Vicki Zerbee shares additional information about stress facts at: http://ineedstressrelief.co/natural-stress-relief where you will find an abundance of natural health and wellness solutions.

814.931.8041
Central PA, USA


Original article

Learn More About Reflexology

For those who consider reflexology merely a pleasant foot massage, you may be in for a surprise. Reflexology is the gentle manipulation of pressure points to clear pathways for energy to flow. The increased energy then enlivens the body, helping it to heal itself.

Unlike chiropractic and acupuncture reflexology employs a natural process to aid the body. Specific areas of the foot believed to be associated with various glands, organs and limbsare manipulated to help the body correct itself. Reflexologists learn about the body's complicated response system. Based on this knowledge they press stimulus points on the feet which produce responses in organs and body regions. Reflexology is based almost solely on autonomic responses.

How does Reflexology differ from Massage Therapy?

In simple terms, reflexology confines manipulation to the feet and hands. Massage therapists work to ease tight muscles in all parts of the body. Massage therapy works on the connection between muscles and the nervous system. Reflexology works on a believed link between points on hands and feet to clear energy pathways to organs and other body parts. Massage works directly on the muscles and nerves where reflexology stimulates a response from tissue at a distance from the manipulated point. Reflexology aims to improve the functioning of organs, glands and body systems such as: circulatory, digestive, and respiratory whereas massage is concerned with improving the function of body tissue. Reflexologists touch only hands and feet while massage therapists work all over the body.

What are the Benefits of Reflexology?

Reflexologists work on the premise that ¾ of all human illnesses are caused by stress. Their aim is to reduce stress and produce deep relaxation. Reflexologists learn to ease tension and clear blocked passageways to over fourteen thousand nerves. Through reflexology, the cardiovascular system can more efficiently allow blood to flow through the system. In this way it also improves the conduction of vitamins, minerals and food nutrients throughout the body and wastes to be removed. Reflexology aims to balance the body's entire system.

People who undergo reflexology report having more energy, feeling more "centered" and having fewer illnesses. They also claim they recover from such ailments as colds and flu faster. Clients who regularly undergo reflexology regularly insist that they are more focused and alert and are able to relax more quickly and more deeply.

How Do I Get Started?

Little is required to get started benefitting from reflexology. Regardless of your fitness level or health status, reflexology is an option for you. You need only book an appointment with a good, licensed reflexologist and give it a try! Like the thousands of others in the Pittsburg area, you too can realize the benefits of feeling less stressed, healthier, more energized and more focused because of reflexology treatments. Many reflexologists offer reduced or complementary first-time treatments so you can discover for yourself, the therapeutic benefits of reflexology. When you are exploring the benefits of reflexology in Pittsburg.

Discover the benefits of reflexology. Explore reflexology facilities available in Pittsburg.


Original article

Manage Your Workplace Stress by Finding the Cause

Stress is a combination of strenuous and unhappy state of mind that affects one's psychology and physique. Though not defined appropriately, this word has its deep roots with the meaning of: the percentage of mental and physical wear and tear of your body.

Stress at work:

Constraint economic conditions and global completion prevailing in all spheres of business are the primary factors for the germination of stress at workplace in all organizations throughout the world. Reductions in work force nearly by 1:10 ratio is the general matrix or trend in all work culture today. This has resulted in maximum filtration of highly skilled personnel, employed to perform to the increasing demands of quality and quantity work. Fewer people performing the tasks which shall indeed accomplished by masses is one of the key reasons leading the workforce to face strenuous mental and physical conditions.

Each manager supervising 8-10 heads are now given double and sometimes triple responsibility to accomplish work. Likewise, the subordinates too have multiple responsibilities to deliver more productivity. So, today stress has become common to all level of employees. All these unhealthy and inefficient work management results in many disadvantages like: illness, errors, low energy levels, lack of interest, absenteeism, lack of encouragement and motivation, last but not the least; substance abuse. Such stressful syndrome will leads you to either final resignation or termination from workplace.

Understanding and Solving Stress at Workplace:

Your workplace is a tiny workshop where one personnel differs from the other in many aspects. As different tools help the functioning of a mechanism in a smoother way, in the same manner, a healthy team of personnel's will ought to work together to attain success in an organization. In order to achieve this at workplace, one has to create/develop pleasant and stress free environment there.

Sorting out and selecting tasks on priority basis also helps reduce tension and submission of work or projects in right time. Managing staff should provide efficient training to the working staff that may lessen anxiety and frustration, the seeds that give rise to stress. Make your employees aware of their tasks and the level, try to cope with the requirement of your business. Proper rapport, guidance and co-ordination will help to grow a stress free atmosphere at your workplace.

Remember, there is no divine mantra to reduce your stress indeed. But, you can solve it in a simpler way by being aware of your workplace stress which optimizes happier, healthier and more productive working zone.

Reduce stress, increase health and improve your Performance with this highly effective stress reduction technology which can help you transform stress, strengthen your body and mind leading to an enhanced quality of life as well as giving you the edge over your competitors. visit HeartIQ - http://heartiq.co.uk/


Original article

Good Stress, Bad Stress - Easy Tips for Staying Calm

What is Stress?

It may sound strange for you to read the title, Good Stress and Bad Stress, it was sort of weird for me to write the words. My initial thought was, "Stress, who needs any of it" but stress is thought of as a part of life that is unavoidable and even needed in some instances. Generally, the word "stress" refers to feelings of being overwhelmed or overloaded to the extent of disrupting our ability to cope with a certain pressure. The reasons for stress are numerous and may differ from person to person. In fact almost anything can trigger a stressful response. Some of the most common causes are listed below:

Common Causes of Stress
Grief/bereavementFinancial issuesWaiting for news (doctor reports, job interview, test results)Loss of jobDriving in trafficMoving/ relocating

What happens to our bodies when we are stressed?

When people become stressed their bodies react to the pressure in a number of ways. These physical reactions can have a large impact on our overall health when not checked and not regulated. It can also impact our relationships, careers, parenting abilities and a lot of our other social interactions.

Effects on the Body
Back painErectile dysfunctionHeadacheNervous twitchingLoss of libidoSleeping difficultiesRapid Breathing

How does stress affect our thoughts, feelings and behavior?

Much can be said about the connection between thoughts, feelings and behavior. In fact, from a psychological standpoint the approach to managing stress is often dealt with by applying cognitive-behavioral techniques (CBT). These techniques emphasize the role of thinking in how we feel and what we do. The principle behind CBT is basically assuming that if you change your thinking about a particular thing then your behavior will change. Here is a little example to show how thoughts can lead to certain behaviors and in this case increased your stress level.

So lets suppose that making the deadline for a project that you are responsible for at work is causing your to become stressed.

Person A: Thinks that because he/she may not finish the project in time that he/she is somehow inferior or not up to an ideal standard.

Person B: Thinks that because he/she may not finish the project in time that he/she may need to get assistance from others or push the deadline back so that they have more time to work.

You can see from the two examples how thoughts about a particular situation can increase the level of stress. While it is realistic to assume that both situations are stressful, Person A is adding an addition helping of stress to their plate by simply thinking negatively about the situation.

Effect of Stress on Thoughts and Feelings
AngerBurnoutDepressionForgetfulnessFatigueIrritability

Effects of Stress on Behavior
Frequent cryingIncrease cigarette smokingSocial withdrawalDrug useEating too little or too muchAlcohol or drug abuse

Self-help for Stress

The term stress management is not one that I necessarily like to use because like I said in the opening paragraph, not a single thing about stress appeals to me. I prefer to think of living in a balanced manner. As such, creating a life where each of area of your life receives optimal attention in itself reduces stress. So what I am suggesting here is that you manage yourself as opposed to managing stress by structuring your day, getting organized and being present for each moment of your day (while attending to your schedule of course). Here are some ideas of what to include in your day to help get you going.

Exercise

Start scheduling regular exercise times in your day. Exercise benefits a person's mental and physical state.

Time

Make sure to set aside time in each day that is just for you to do with as you please. I would say at least an hour and to make it a big deal. Like for example saying, "From 7-8 pm each day is my time". During this time you can drink your favorite flavor of tea, call a friend, paint your nails, luxuriate in a warm bath or whatever creative thing you may think of.

Center Yourself

Do you meditate? Pray? Sit still doing nothing much at all? If not, then you might want to start. With our busy lives, adding this part to your day along with the mentioned above "Time" may be a bit much. We have bossy bosses, tiny toddlers, and hungry husbands who keep us busy each day but maybe we go to bed a bit earlier than usual, say 15 minutes, and before drifting off to sleep as we are lying in bed be center ourselves. One great way to center yourself is by listening to the rhythm of the breath. By really taking time to hear and become one with your breath, you find peace and what a great way to end the day.

Other Self-help Suggestions
Relaxation techniquesGet a massageRead inspiration worksRead nonsensical works to free your mind of its own stringent regimenDrink Herbal teas for calming and relaxationAromatherapy. Soothing scented candles, incense or essentials oils to tantalize the olfactory sensesLaugh, Play, Holler. Note we are not hollering because we are mad, we are hollering because we can!

*For persons who cannot escape the heaviness of stress due to obligations beyond their control or for other reasons, I would suggest that you a lot a certain time each day to stress out. Say maybe from 11am to 11:45 each day you allow yourself to fret over whatever situation is causing emotional upset.

Martha Dawson is an Intuitive Life Coach and Reiki practitioner at Wellness Consultants. To learn more about the coaching process and how coaches support clients in creating a calmer life please visit http://greaterlifenow.wordpress.com/life-coaching-3/.


Original article

Top 10 Questions About Stress

Stress. What is it really? What do we mean when we say "I can't take the pressure?" Or "I'm stressed out?" Am I really? Is it a bad thing? Or do I actually need stress to get me going? A lot can be involved when we start a discussion about stress. And it's important to understand a problem before we can begin to find solutions for it.

Let's tackle the basics here with 10 top questions about stress:

1. What is stress?

When we talk about stress, we really should be talking about the "stress reaction." Okay, so what is the stress reaction? In short, it is an evolved survival mechanism. Our senses transmit information about a situation and our mind has to make its mind up; Am I safe or under threat? If the decision is 'under threat,' the mind activates the 'fight or flight' response. This then equips the body to proceed with that course of action. It can occur in an instant, often before you are even consciously aware that there is a threat present. It's about gearing you up to deal with the threat in order to survive, and then restoring you to your former (unstressed) state, once the threat has abated.

2. Is there a difference between pressure and stress?

The problem today with these words is that they have become so commonly used and now carry a host of meanings. Let's keep it simple. Let's think of 'pressure' (sometimes referred to as a stressor) as the thing that is applied to us and 'stress,' or more accurately, our 'stress response' as the response to that pressure. An example; your boss drops a big pile of paperwork on your desk requiring it to be completed by the end of the day (that's the pressure being applied), You, upon seeing this, then stand up, scream and run out of the office (that's your stress response).

3. What is acute stress?

Some dangers and threats are immediate. Back in the day, when we were living in caves, hunting and foraging for food to live, our bodies evolved to handle the various threats we encountered. Upon realizing that we were in the presence of a dangerous predator, say a sabre-toothed tiger, the stress response was immediate and all-consuming. Our breathing and heart rates soared, our adrenaline pumped, and all our energies focused on our immediate survival. This exemplifies acute stress. It demands a big response from your body, and hopefully it won't need to be maintained for to long.

4. What is chronic stress?

Some dangers and threats last over a longer term. Back to the caveman. In addition to sabre-toothed tigers, there were other threats to survival. There were periods of hunger, competition for scarce resources, hostile environments, and a host of other daily physical challenges. Our bodies also used the stress response to adapt to these long-term threats. When food was scarce, our metabolisms and other bodily functions would slow down so our continued survival required less food. When bountiful times returned, so would our daily food requirements. This exemplifies chronic stress. It is our body's way of surviving those longer term threats or challenges.

5. There's no sabre-toothed tigers today, why should stress affect me now?

Whilst the stress response itself has not greatly changed, what we deem a threat has. Thanks to our mind's ability to recall past events and think about future possibilities, we are capable of activating our stress response when simply imagining a threatening situation. So, unlike the Zebra who is only able to focus on the immediate threats, we can worry about a threat that might occur tomorrow, next week or next month, and subsequently activate our stress response. And the situation need not be life-threatening for our mind to perceive a threat and thus activate the stress response.

6. Do we all get stressed out by the same things?

The short answer is no. Take the example of Christmas. To some, it is a wonderful time for celebration, relaxation and reflection. To others, it is an incredibly stressful time that begins with the annual ritual of untangling the tree lights and ends only after the last straggling relative has gone home for another year. How can this be? Christmas is Christmas. This is true. The day itself, the 25th of December, is the same for everyone. But the values, customs, social beliefs, and past experiences that we bring to a situation determine its effect on us. Thus to some, Christmas is a source of great joy while to others, it can be a significant stressor.

7. Does my own mindset affect how stressed I get?

Absolutely yes, and in a number of ways. One of the things that determines how we will respond to something stressful is our perception of our ability to cope. Do we have the capacity (physically, psychologically and emotionally) to handle the threat or challenge that we are facing? What it boils down to is whether or not we believe we have control of the situation. If we believe that we do not, we may experience an increased stress reaction, maybe even to the point of panic mode. If that happens, we may become unable to decide upon a course of action, and indeed, lose control of the situation.

8. How does stress affect me?

There are three key ways in which stress affects us.

Physically: Some of the ways that stress can manifest itself in your body are sleep disruption, tiredness, muscle tension, lack of energy, headaches and viral infections.

Psychologically: These may be a little harder to spot and include lower motivation, negative thoughts, the inability to switch off, negative self-talk and anxiousness.

Behaviourally: There are some behavioural changes caused by stress that you might want be on the lookout for, like working through breaks, craving energy boosters, changes in appetite, teeth grinding and taking work home, becoming irritable, withdrawing.

While any of these warning signs may also point to other issues besides stress, and therefore consider seeking professional medical advice, do consider whether stress is a contributing factor.

9. Is stress all bad?

There is actually a positive purpose for stress, when used and managed properly. The stress response is activated as a result of our brain perceiving a need for action. The stress response engages our body, and we get moving. When the alarm goes off in the morning, it is the stress response that tells our brain that we need to get out of bed. The brain then tells the body, and alas, we get out of bed.

10. What could happen if I don't manage my stress?

The stress response evolved to help us out of sticky situations, but it was meant to be turned on for short periods of time when needed, then turned off. However, if the stress response turns into chronic stress, it can contribute to the development of serious physical conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, stomach problems and even cancer. It can also lead to psychological issues such as clinical depression, anxiety and panic disorders.

To sum it up, the stress response is our body's way of reacting to a threat. We respond to the situation at hand and return to our normal state when the threat has been resolved. It evolved to deal with short and even long-term physical threats, so problems arise when we can endure long-term psychological stress response activation. Over time, this kind of chronic stress can lead to real physical, psychological and emotional problems. Understanding how the stress response works, and applying stress management strategies to your life will go a long way toward preventing these kinds of problems in your life.

Hi, I'm Dave Algeo, the Stress(ed) Guru. I am all about making stress manageable and improving performance and well-being.

Through learning, humour and interaction, the message is loud and clear.... 'Stress can be managed to improve motivation, health and vitality leading to greater personal and professional success and life satisfaction.' With a policing background spanning 19 years, over 13 of which as an operational Sergeant, I have witnessed, experienced and worked with stress in its many forms. From the traumatic to the trying, i know the mechanics of stress and the impact it can have on people and performance. Whilst stress can be perceived as a negative force, it can be managed effectively using proven techniques and an individual approach. I have delivered stress programmes to a range of organisations including, Northumberland County Council and Durham University.

Visit my website at http://www.stressedguru.co.uk/
or Contact me on 0800 380 0609 to discuss your requirements or click on the following for more information.


Original article

My Road to Inner Success

In western culture (and increasingly it seems, eastern culture, too) the idea of being a "success" is rather narrowly defined. Typically, we claim that someone is successful if they've climbed the ladder of whatever profession they might in - whether that's sales, entertainment, healthcare, sports, politics or anything else. Or we might call someone successful if they've achieved a certain social standing or popularity.

I'm not here to suggest that these examples above aren't indications of a certain kind of success. However, I am here to boldly state that the common notion of success is really...well, it's unsuccessful. Let me explain.

When we view success only as an outward phenomenon - something that matters to other people, or that matters to a social circle - we deny the other aspect of life that is just as important: our inner world. And by "inner world," I don't mean something mystical or new age. I mean the world of personal peace, of being grounded, or being in touch with your body, and of course, of living a stress-free life. These elements are just as important as any other, outward manifestation of success.

In fact, it's arguable that at times success in the inner world is more important than success anywhere else, because if you aren't happy, peaceful and healthy, how can you even enjoy the outer success in the first place?

Frankly, that's the situation that I found myself in not all that long ago. I was in sales for over 25 years, with the last 9+ years as a sales manager for a Fortune 500 company. On average, I had 10-14 sales representatives reporting to me. It was an EXTREMELY busy time, and yes, it was also financially rewarding. On the outside, I was successful.

But on the inside, I was kind of a wreck. Work was eating up all of my time and energy, and the physical and mental toll was becoming too heavy to bear. Of course, I was "stuck" in my outward success and couldn't slow down - and so I started a pattern of working 12-hour days and sleeping 10-12 hours a night. Weekends passed as a blur of grocery shopping, laundry, napping and trying to catch up with work. I was stressed out to the MAX and ready to break apart.

Again, the point I'm trying to make here is that although I was still successful "on the outside," I was simply not succeeding on the inside - in my own personal world. And to make things even more challenging, I was diagnosed with a stress-induced disorder called fibromyalgia, and was almost certainly headed for even more health problems.

That's when I realized that if I didn't DO SOMETHING and break out of my cycle, I was probably going to collapse - and then both my outer success and inner success would be - to put it mildly - very, very unsuccessful. I didn't want to get to that point where I fell to the floor (maybe even literally) and didn't have the stamina or the motivation to get back up.

Somehow, I found the strength (maybe it was the last bit that I had left to use), took some time off from work, and made some tough decisions. I eliminated everything that stressed me out -- including several friends who were triggering stressful reactions within me, or who were what I call "stress enablers." It was hard to do this, but we're talking self-preservation here. It had to be done.

I read all the stress-related books and articles I could get my hands on, and took classes and seminars in lots of stress management modalities. I won't say that this experience was totally useless - there were kernels of wisdom and insight here and there - but it really didn't re-ignite my inner flame. That only happened when I hired a Life Coach, who helped me apply what I had learned to my own life. It took awhile but I finally started to feel better. And eventually, I experienced a feeling of joy that I had not felt in a very long time.

I put together what I learned from my illness and from my research, and today I am committed to maintaining an ongoing balance in my life. Now my personal mission is to help women avoid the stress and suffering that will make them sick, and empower them to live happier and more successful lives.

And yes, when I say "successful," you know that I mean INNER AND OUTER SUCCESS. Because in the truest sense, as I personally experienced, you either have both...or neither.

If you enjoyed these tips and would like more practical sales strategies, visit Zero Stress Selling today. Sue is known for her relaxed and authentic customized sales training.


Original article

How Do You Tune Your Instrument?

In your life, career or business, you are your biggest asset, your own instrument of success. You are also your biggest liability. And how you show up every day, with your colleagues, friends, family or clients, is a huge factor in determining your overall level of happiness and success.

So tell me, how much attention do you put into tuning your instrument?

If you were a world-class musician you would never think of performing without tuning your violin, guitar or what have you. The sour notes would be noticed immediately and detract from your performance. Thus musicians always take the time to tune their own instrument and then tune to the orchestra prior to a performance. How about you?

In your life, career and businesses, I am sure you have had a few experiences where you felt in tune with yourself, your surroundings, the task at hand, and things flowed almost effortlessly.

And I am pretty sure there have been many other times when the sense of struggle was so palpable, you may have felt you were playing off the wrong sheet music.

If you do nothing to proactively prepare for each day or tune your instrument, it will not take too much (stress, conflict, unexpected developments, etc.) to tip you into a far more reactive mode. And feeling a little off-key or behind the rhythm, you are more likely to appear impatient, intolerant, unsympathetic, distracted and generally self-focused. This of course is going to be noticed and have an impact.

Taking the time to tune your instrument, to get more present, in-sync, will not immunize you from life's challenges. But it will ensure you meet them with the greater creativity, trust and the resourcefulness needed to be your best, under any circumstance. And this will also have an impact. (A very positive one.)

Challenge

If you don't have one already, my challenge to you is to create your own daily routine to "tune your instrument". (And if you do have one, I simply challenge you to take it to the next level.)

There is solid research to indicate that if you only take 10 minutes, two times a day, to do something that gets you out of your normal, reactive, personal, anxious, resistant, over thinking mindset, it can dramatically improve your well being.

We are simply wanting to find some regular daily practice that triggers your relaxation response (your parasympathetic nervous system), resets the mind from its obsession with how it wishes things would be and helps you get a little more in tune with what is actually happening.

What might the practical benefits of this be in your business, career and life? You will experience less stress, have much greater rapport in all your relationships, access more creativity, be a more effective leader, enjoy higher self-awareness and far greater self-management. You will laugh more, love more, and your blood pressure will be lower so you may well live a lot longer.

Not a bad payback for an investment of just 10 minutes, twice a day. Take the challenge. You can thank me later.

Steve Mitten CPCC, MCC, of ACOACH4U.COM was the 2005 President of the International Coach Federation, and 2007 Canadian Coach of The Year. He is a Master Certified Coach and an expert on human potential and change. Steve has helped thousands of leaders; entrepreneurs and independent professionals find the fastest and most enjoyable route to more meaningful success. http://www.acoach4u.com/


Original article

Mini Meditation Breaks Help to Relieve Stress

Freelance writing requires independence, persistence, and patience. You can't be a freelance writer and a wimp; the two don't go together. While I am grateful for an even personality, there are times when I feel anxious. My automatic response to this feeling is to work harder, just what I don't need.

Experience has taught me that working less relieves anxiety. I take mini meditation breaks to slow my thoughts and clear my mind.

What is meditation? The online medical dictionary defines it as "practice of concentrated focus upon sound, object, visualization, breathing, movement... to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth." Humans have been meditating for centuries.

Meditation may be divided into two basic types, concentration and mindfulness. Mayo Clinic describes the types in a website article, "Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress." The types include guided meditation (also called guided imagery), mantra, mindful, Qi Gong (a combination of meditation, relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises), Transcendental (eliminating all thoughts from your mind), Tai Chi and Yoga.

When I am stuck or confused about writing, I call time out and take a 5-10 minute break. First, I eliminate all background noise. I close my eyes and do some diaphragm breathing. Then I envision my mind as a blank, gray television screen with no images. I try to clear thoughts from my mind. Sometimes, though, I focus on one word, such as love.

This may not be the classic way to meditate, but it works for me. After a few minutes of silence and stillness, I am always re-energized. In fact, I feel as if I have just awakened from a refreshing nap.

If you are not familiar with meditation you may wish to watch a Mayo Clinic video, "Need to Relax? Take a Break for Meditation," which is posted on its website. A female narrator guides you through the video and you hear soothing background music that has no melody.

Lawrence LeShan offers start-up tips in his book, "How to Meditate." First, sit, lie or stand in a comfortable position. Set a clock alarm or timer for 15 minutes. If you do not have an alarm or timer, look at a wall clock. (Do not move your head while you look at it.) Count silently and consecutively each time you breathe out. Keep doing this until your time is up.

Meditation isn't easy, according to LeShan. As he explains, "The first shock of surprise comes when we realize how undisciplined our mind really is; how it refuses to do the bidding of our will." He thinks regular meditation leads to increased mental alertness, awareness, and decreased tension.

For me, the best things about mini meditations is that they take little time and yield big results. You can take mini meditation breaks almost anywhere. Early in my writing career I didn't take mini meditation breaks. Today, they are part of my work routine. Maybe they will become part of yours.

Copyright 2012 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com/

Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years and is the author of 30 published books. Her recent work focuses on grief recovery and she has written six books on this topic: "Smiling Through Your Tears," Lois Krahn, MD, co-author, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life," the "Writing to Recover Journal," 'The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul," "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey" and "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss." Please visit her website and learn more about this busy author.


Original article

Stress-Management Through Becoming Aware of Your Gut Instincts

Would you like to understand your inner gut instincts so you can begin a stress-management program in your life, but don't know where to begin? You do not need to feel alone in your confusion because the psychology of gut intelligence is a new field of study and research and many people are still baffled as to how to even begin to understand our second brain in our bellies. Recently, a research study in depth psychology reports that listening to the voice of your gut can lead you to have a more beneficial life experience with stress reduction and more decisive choices that benefit both the culture and you as an individual person. Understanding the twelve keys presented in this article will help you successfully navigate through your awareness of your own gut intelligence and begin to use it as an inner guide to accompany your thinking brain decisions and help you in stress-management. These keys reflect the responses of hundreds of people in clinical settings.

First: The gut is the instinctual feeling response center and we each feel either empty or full or somewhere in the middle from a moment-to-moment bases. You can understand this if you just imagine a gas gauge in your gut at all times and it is registering your needs met or not met.

Second: We feel full in our guts when our instinctual needs are met and empty when they are not. We are talking about psychological instinctual needs, psychological not in the use of logic but in our needs as human beings. We are talking not just about food intake, although the feeling of emptiness and fullness in relation to food intake and psychological instinctual needs are interestingly similar and we all do get them confused and thus may over eat to try to fill the emptiness we feel psychologically.

Third: We have two instinctual needs that the gut gauges, which are the need to feel accepted and the need to be in control of our own responses to life. These two needs must be constantly in balance to feel full of life energy.

Fourth: When we have both of these instinctive needs met, we feel full and thus energized; and when we have neither met or one is out of balance with the other, we feel empty and often experience some symptoms of stress in the body like feeling lethargic, anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected and alone.

Fifth: The gut response does not depend on the thinking brain as the gut is an independent brain of its own, as recent medical breakthroughs have demonstrated. But of course the gut brain can be greatly affected by the thinking brain, and vice-versa.

Sixth: We all naturally work both consciously and unconsciously to keep these two instinctual needs in balance at all times.

Seventh: Becoming more conscious of these two instinctual feelings and our needs as human beings will increase our ability to feel empowered and self-aware, as well as help us to experience stress reduction in our lives. We need to have a balanced and conscious dialog between our gut responses and head response so we can use our thinking brain to make the appropriate responses in the external world and try to fill these two important instinctual needs in appropriate, healthy and successful ways.

Eighth: When we are unconscious of our gut responses, our thinking brain will often use a system of thought it has picked up, perhaps from an authority like a parent, teacher or even a religious interpretation, and our thinking brain applies it as a judgment about the feeling in our gut. This is what happens when we have an emotion like guilt or depression. We feel empty because our needs are not met and our thinking brain attaches a thought to the emptiness, a thought that we may have borrowed from an outside source years ago. We then experience a lack of fulfillment as we apply this thinking like "It is all my fault for being too stupid or too small or too incompetent, etc." or "I am not capable of doing anything to make this work or be better" or "I am not worthy or deserving", thus we have guilt and or depression feelings and we experience a great amount of stress in our bodies.

Ninth: Once our thinking brain attaches a judgment to our gut feeling, we experience a combination of feeling and thinking as an emotional response. The emotional feelings are not pure feelings of emptiness or fullness anymore, as they now have the thinking component mixed in them. And these thinking-feelings or emotions are mostly felt in other parts of our bodies above our bellies, between our head brain and gut brain. If you look into your emotional feelings, you can always find a thinking element to them. And if you trace the feeling aspect only, it goes directly and purely to the gut. The gut is the source of all feeling and on a purely gut feeling level there is no thinking but just the feeling of emptiness and fullness, although you may certainly use different words to describe this binary feeling response.

Tenth: People have found in clinical settings that the only way we can unravel this tightly woven thread of inaccurate thinking judgment about ourselves and the resulting emotional stress, is to reflect back to the source of when the thinking head first applied this very same judgment causing a negative feeling emotion. Through gut feeling reflection we can find the actual source experience or as close to it as possible. And the key to finding this first experience is through reflection on both the negative feeling emotion and the gut feeling of emptiness and fullness, not through thinking back on the details of our lives.

Eleventh: Once we find this original experience, generally in childhood, in which we started the "tape" that plays over and over in our heads saying we are at fault, powerless, too needy, unloveable, etc., then we can see ourselves more realistically in the light of our adult minds and lift the sentence we have placed on ourselves and our feelings. We may then begin to see ourselves clearer and make healthy decision, and begin to use our thinking head to follow our instinctual needs and fulfill our true human nature. This gut feeling reflection is for most people an experience that they report to greatly help in stress-management and have both positive effects upon their health and energy level.

Twelfth: Reflection on the gut feelings or what we might call our gut voice helps us to be more mindful of our caring nature and thus be more caring for others. And with the new awareness of our gut responses and needs that we acquire through reflection on our instinctual gut responses, we are able to live a more caring and healthy life with the thinking head finally conscious and listening more clearly to the responses of our most reliable and authentic self, our gut instinctual feelings in our body.

Early in her career as a counselor in the 70s, Martha Love, along with her colleague Robert Sterling, became aware of the need to help people with stress reduction management and decision-making based on inner needs. After years of clinical study of gut intelligence and new medical breakthroughs supporting the intelligence of the gut brain, they have collaborated on a groundbreaking book, called "What's Behind Your belly Button?", which introduces a new Gut Psychology and explores the awareness of gut instincts to make healthy life-decisions, improve individual stress reduction management, and enhance overall well-being.

For more information on the book "What's Behind Your Belly Button" go to http://careerstorefront.angelfire.com/.


Original article

How to Make the Best New Year's Resolution Ever

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. Ellen Goodman

New Years Day falls on a Sunday in 2012. Does that make it a perfect day to start your resolutions? Not necessarily. You might have been ready to hit the gym and eat better yesterday, not necessarily January first. What is so magical about making resolutions at New Years?

I was curious about the actual definition of resolution. I saw words like determination, deciding on a course of action, being resolute or firm on a purpose. Other words like resolution included perseverance, tenacity, strength, and fortitude. These are valuable assets to make effective change in your life and needed throughout your resolve.

Let's talk about some practical tools for lifestyle changes. Assuming you have made a firm decision about your goal, it's time to make a plan. And notice I referred to one goal. Changing many habits at once is like a ticking time bomb- just when will it (or you) explode?

Abrupt resolutions without a plan in place can be a surefire way to not achieve your goal. For example, you might have thought about quitting smoking for the longest time. Deciding to quit without support systems and plans in place can be disastrous. For your highest success rate, plan to consciously replace the thing you are removing you're your life. A successful plan can include having your patches, lozenges or medication in place. Finding an online or in person support group can be the saving grace when you have a nicotine craving. An exercise plan can be helpful to decrease anxiety during those first few weeks. Talking to other people who have been successful in what you are planning to change.

Having a plan can help you stay on track. When you become discouraged your plan has a built-in support system; a safety net in case you choose to fall back into old habits. You see, there is a point just about when you're ready to achieve your goal that you may be tempted to quit. Push past that barrier with all of your might. See yourself being free of the bondage of your old habit. Reach for a supportive friend's hand. Just hang on.

If you slip, love yourself even more. Give yourself compassion as if you were helping your best friend. And by the way, you are helping your best friend-you.

Know that I believe with all my heart that you can be successful in what you want to achieve. Set your goal and get your plan in place. Don't be concerned about meeting that January 1 deadline. Get a firm plan in place first.

Lisa is the owner and stress management coach at Stress Relief Solutions. This business, formed in 2010 was born out of Lisa's passion for teaching and inspiring people to prioritize life tasks and reconnect with their inner peace. Lisa possesses an innate skill to motivate and empower people to live their passions fully. Lisa received a bachelor of science in occupational therapy from the University of Kansas in 1985. She currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Visit http://www.thestressreliefprogram.com/.


Original article

Another Way to Function - An Alternate to Thinking

When issues occur with any aspect of daily life, the usual function or behaviour is to struggle in thinking up solutions or answers to our difficulties. This thinking is a reaction to our difficulties and is quite inadequate. Why?

When there is an inadequate understanding or approach within the contents and process of our thinking, we search within that for something which obviously isn't there. I say obviously, for if understanding were there in the first place, would these issues present difficulties and would we be searching at all.

Therefore if through thinking you cannot understand something, you must look beyond thinking. One must ask, is the disturbance anything other than the inadequacy in the approach or information that defines the limits of thinking. And as this is so, then to solve our problems there must be an alternative to thinking.

There is another way to function. Rather than trying to think your way out of a problem or through a challenge, have you ever just held it? Just held it, felt the sense of it without moving away from it, without trying to suppress it or transcend it, or do all the things we do with it. If you do nothing else but hold it, you will sense, (not think) the depth of it. The thing itself will show itself and all of its extraordinary subtleties. In the midst of such an approach, without you meaning to, a true understanding of yourself can occur.

You can only be receptive to all of this when you are living with the problem without any motive, without trying to do a thing about it, just watching it, just holding it, not separate from it.

This is the body-mind in its ultimate and most natural function. This is its brilliance. To perpetually respond to, absorb and unravel any living problem.

Preparation for living problems blinds us to them.

The major difference between mechanical and living problems is what it takes to solve them. Thought is sufficient for solving mechanical problems but there is no way we can use it to solve living human problems. That is why it has failed.

The philosopher and analyst have failed, the gurus have failed, the prophets have failed, our education and parents have failed, society has failed to help the individual live their life sanely and healthily. Social thought and action has failed in the attempt to solve living problems.

For the problem is not what we all think it is. The demand and the attempt to be prepared for any future situation is actually the cause of our problems. All education, training and prior preparation for living is a process of thought, and thought does not reach anything here inside the flesh of the living feeling person where it counts.

No matter how we prepare we cannot ever know what we would do in any given situation. Every situation, every person, every stage in life is so different, therefore any preparation to meet these living situations cannot help us. In fact we create the problems of living by preparing for them. For our preparation - our knowledge, beliefs and answers are our bias, and our bias prevents receptivity to anything new and therefore blocks the new facts available to us in each living situation. Thereby our prior preparations to meet life's problems prevent us from ever meeting life as it really is. Hence we create our own blindness by the very act of preparing.

One who does not prepare for living problems, does not because he understands you cannot, that all such preparation is useless, unnecessary and in fact causes disassociation from the eventual outer circumstance and your inner responses to it at the time if its unfolding.

The body does not know anything in advance. It functions moment to moment relying on the senses, the nervous system and other physical (chemical) responses to receive life and all the information contained within life as it unfolds.

In this our natural state of 'not knowing' (no prior knowing) we know what there is to know as we need to know it, and not before. Initially our 'knowing' is in all the above mentioned physical ways - which then expands into descriptive thought, if further expression is required.

So our problem with living problems is, we think and therefore try to know before there is something to know, and end up making something up before there is anything to know. Hence we live in the fear based and bias preparedness of the known, of the so called mind, trying to anticipate life - before the particular life event occurs to stimulate the only definite knowing we have - these variety of bodily responses, which are the pulsations of life responding to, and interconnected with life as it occurs.

© 2011 Matthew Meinck All rights reserved.

Disclaimer: The reader of this document acknowledges that they take full personal responsibility for their response to the contents of this document. The author and any related parties disclaim any liability whatsoever, to the extent allowed by law, from any liability for any consequence of the response that the reader has to the contents of this document.

Matthew Meinck is an original thinker, an explorative ground-breaking natural health practitioner and educator, published author, meditation mentor, problem solver.

After 7 years as a monk his attempts to expose the heir achy and hypocritical belief systems got him expelled. He went on to demystify enlightenment and meditation, enhancing its massive benefits and developed the most effective commonsense approach to meditation in existence today.

For over 25 years he has established his reputation by achieving unprecedented results as a natural health practitioner. He approaches mental and physical health as one integral condition and has successfully treated over 30,000 people.

New books by Matthew Meinck will be available on line 2012


Original article

How to Use Running to Relieve Your Stress

Stress is a silent but deadly epidemic mental disorder that is slowly sweeping through our community. Whilst stress itself is not defined as a disease, overwhelming stress impacts the body and allows diseases like cancer and viruses to easily attack what is normally a healthy body. Yet there are some simple solutions and exercises that will help you combat this silent killer.

One of the easiest ways to combat stress is to simply exercise. The more you exercise the more you are able to exercise that stress out of your body.

So why does exercise work?

When you exercise a number of key things occur in your body. The first is that your heart rate will increase as you exercise, your blood flows more effectively and will help you combat the stress. Normally, high levels of stress will have the opposite effect to your body and constrict the blood vessels.

Running is a powerful tool to combat stress and is much better than just simple exercise. It provides you with a number of key opportunities to release the stress and refocus your mind onto more positive outcomes.

When you run you are forced by the act of running to focus on something other than the stress. The act of running also allows your body to increase the blood flow around your body and release endorphins into your blood stream. These endorphins are very important in combating stress as we have often found that they help stimulate the creative element of your brain to create new and creative ways to deal with the stressful situations.

Doctors and psychologists do have differing opinions as to how often you should run to combat stress however my advice is that if you are working in a high stress environment then it would be worthwhile in at least taking the opportunity to undertake a run at the end of the day to ensure that before you come home to your family you are in a positive state of mind.

My own wife uses running as a regular stress reliever and she will often visit the gym before coming how from a busy day at work to release the built up stress and to come home in a positive frame of mind. This however is not the only time when you can use running as a stress reliever.

Whenever you get to a point where a stressful situation is not allowing you to deal with the experience in a positive manner then I recommend that you take a good 30 minute run to start getting the blood to circulate more effectively so that you will be able to come up with an appropriate outcome for the stressful situation.

Let us put it this way, even if you do come back and do not have any answers at this point, your act of running will keep your body in a positive mental state and also healthy at the same time. This has to result in you dealing with the situation in a positive manner.

Chris Le Roy is the Managing Director of the One-on-One Professional Business Training Centre. Our company provides a range of stress management training that will help you to learn to stress management skills, you career and more. Our company also provides first aid courses to help ensure you have that qualification when you apply for your next job.


Original article